SuperFetching/Ready Boost Information Vista Tips Discuss SuperFetching/Ready Boost Information in the Windows Vista forums; Y eye, that’s good info, however I could not get the following two links to work” http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair/flash_memory.tml http://www.apacer.com/en/products/...

[felix8406]

Y eye, that’s good info, however I could not get the following two links to work”
http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair/flash_memory.tml
http://www.apacer.com/en/products/Ha...03 _spechs.htm

[y eye]

30dec06
try again... I entered errors first try.
I got crossed up with the quick reply message window. For some reason there is a highlighted message in my quick reply window and my urls would not register...?

[Znod]

Originally Posted by Znod

Some think that ReadyBoost allows flash drives and SD/CF cards to provide additional RAM. But, using ReadyBoost is part of SuperFetching--i.e., a SuperFetcing cache is stored on the flash device.

I now have seen an explanation of why this process might be somewhat faster than just using virtual memory. Hard drives are superior for large sequential I/O operations, and ReadyBoost does not get in the way in cases in which hard-drive action is expected to be superior. ReadyBoost functions only in cases of small, random I/Os, like paging to and from disk--cases in which it is expected to beat hard-drive performance. So, flash drives, etc., just provide a faster type of virtual memory in the cases where their use is expected to be superior.

It is hard to find a flash drive that will work, and very few SD and CF cards will work at this time. I have tried two 4 gig flash drives (a pqi Cool Drive and a Corsair Flash Voyager), and ended up returning one to Fry's. I decided to keep the second purely for storage--as it did not work as a SuperFecth device either. It appears that that the Apacer Handy Steno HT203 line (512 MB to 4 GB) line is most likely to work. I ordered the 4 gig from Newegg--at a very reasonable price--$109.99. If if doesn't work, then I'll return it or the Corsair. The flash drive requirements are:

1. The USB key must be at least USB 2.0;
2. The device must be able to do 3.5 MB/s for 4 KB random reads uniformly across the entire device and 2.5 MB/s for 512 KB random writes uniformly across the device; and
3. The device has to have at least 64mb of free space. (per Matt Ayers, the Program Manager in the Microsoft Windows Client Performance group and on the ReadyBoost feature)

Unfortunately, the flash drive manufacturers typically don't provide the pertinent info in their specs or on their packaging. One might think that the X number would help one choose, but that's not the case--at least to any significant extent. There are two reasons a seeminly fast flash drive might not perform up to required read/write levels:

1. The X numbers are related to sequential performance--not random performance and
2. Performance may not be consistantly fast across the entire device. (per Matt Ayers again)

Right now, I am successfully using a probably low X-value Lexar JumpDrive Sport 1 GB with success. My machine is very snappy regardless, so it is hard to notice a difference, but I think I perceive a slight increase in quickness. I keep running my performance meter to see if I can get an improvement. Strangely, when I first started using the Lexar, my RAM performance immediately dropped from 3.5 to 3.4. Go figure. All things considered, I doubt that the use of ReadyBoosting will show up in our performance values, but ???

I now am using a 2 GB smart card on my 2 GB laptop for ReadyBoost purposes. SOP-wise, I have never been able to perceive a difference with and without ReadyBoost. I finally got around to doing a small sample performance test. I found that on average I picked up about 7 points on the PassMark Composite Performance Test when using ReadyBoost. So, ReadyBoost does seem to yield a measurable performance increase even on a 2 GB laptop. I did not find a difference on my 4 GB desktop, but, overall, it is a much more capable machine--not that my laptop is a slouch.

I know that both felix and Snuffy are planning similar tests on laptops with fewer GB's. It will be interesting to see what happens on their laptops.

[y eye]

01jan06

Happy new year Znod. The picture looks like it may be Napenthe a restaurant on Highway 1.

y

[dazzlin]

I love Napenthe! One of my favorite spots ever.

[Znod]

Originally Posted by y eye

01jan06

Happy new year Znod. The picture looks like it may be Napenthe a restaurant on Highway 1.

y

Happy NY to you too. Do you mean my Avatar? And, for you and dazzlin, where on Highway 5? I was on 5, in and about, Carlsbad CA, over the Xmas period.


Edit: I don't know where I got 5. See below.

[y eye]

01jan06

http://homepage.mac.com/donv1/.Pictu.../bannerbig.jpg

The picture reminds me of the California Coast, Highway 1.

y

[Snuffy]

http://homepage.mac.com/1/homepage404ErrorPage.html

is all I get :
http://homepage.mac.com/donv1/Vista/bannerbig.jpg

must be a Vista bug...

http://homepage.mac.com/donv1/.Pictu.../bannerbig.jpg
is a super neat pic and I like the specs also...

[Znod]

Originally Posted by y eye

01jan06

http://homepage.mac.com/donv1/.Pictu.../bannerbig.jpg

The picture reminds me of the California Coast, Highway 1.

y

Oh, I see. It is indeed of CC Highway 1. I can't quite remember what we were near when I took the pic. We ate at a ship-decorated restaurant somewhere in the vicinity of the picture on the trip. A resort of sorts was connected with it. But, I can't remember the name of either.

And, thanks Snuffy.

[y eye]

01jan06

Big Sur Hot Springs....?

http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/hotsprings.html

yeah yeah Where were you in 62....?

http://bigsurcalifornia.org/images2/esselen/hands1.jpg

http://bigsurcalifornia.org/esselen.html

y